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How did the King and Queen of Spain think they could benefit from Columbus's proposal?
Quick answer:
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain saw Columbus's 1492 proposal as a way to enhance Spain's global influence by discovering new lands, gaining wealth, and establishing a quicker trade route to Asia. They aimed to surpass Portugal in trade and exploration, secure 90% of any wealth found, and spread Catholicism. These incentives aligned with their broader goals of expanding Spanish territories and religious influence.
When Ferdinand of Aragon married Isabella of Castile in Valladolid in 1469, their union formed a sovereignty that would end up uniting Spain’s territories and making their country a leading global influence. Through various means, including the Spanish Inquisition, re-establishing control of Granada from the Moors, and forcing all Jewish and Muslim people under their reign to convert to Christianity or leave the country, they began to integrate and assimilate a number of Spanish colonies into their empire. However, they realized that Portugal was a threat to their global supremacy since they were challenging them in trade and exploration.
Since they were on such a conquest for power, it stands to reason that they were intrigued when approached by Christopher Columbus in 1492 to fund his exploration. They thought they could benefit from his voyage by:
- Achieving prosperity for their country along with fame and fortune for themselves by claiming...
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- other nations for Spain
- Spreading Catholicism to other regions
- Beating Portugal in trade and exploration
References
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain saw many benefits of investing in Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492. Despite the voyage being now famous for Columbus's discovery of the Americas, the initial voyage was actually an attempt to find a quicker trade route between Europe and Asia. This goal was one benefit that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella saw when they decided to invest in Columbus's journey. By finding a shorter shipping route, the Spanish empire would gain an advantage when it came to trading with Asia when compared with the rest of Europe. A second benefit of funding Columbus's journey was that they would get to keep 90% of all the wealth found during the journey. This placed any potential riches from newly discovered lands in Spanish hands. This also represented a large incentive for Columbus as well, as he would maintain 10% of the wealth, and become governor of any new lands he found. Finally, a third benefit that helped them to decided to fund the voyage was to help spread Catholicism around the world, with the idea being that a more direct route to Asia would allow them to more easily spread the Catholic faith to that part of the world.
Hope this helps!
References